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How to Score a Whitetail Deer
Scoring a whitetail deer is a tradition among hunters to quantify the size and symmetry of a buck's antlers. The most common system is the Boone and Crockett (B&C) method for typical antlers. This calculator follows the fundamental principles of that system to give you an estimate of both the Gross Score and the Net Score.
Understanding the Measurements
To get an accurate score, you will need a flexible steel tape measure and a piece of cable to measure main beams. Measurements are taken to the nearest 1/8th of an inch.
- Inside Spread: Measured at the widest point between the main beams, perpendicular to the skull.
- Main Beam Length: Measured from the burr along the center of the outer curve to the very tip of the beam.
- Point Length (G): Measured from the top of the main beam to the tip of the point.
- Circumference (H): Four measurements taken at the narrowest points between specific tines along the main beam.
Gross vs. Net Score
The Gross Score is the total of all inches of antler growth, including the spread. The Net Score is what remains after subtracting "deductions"—which are the differences in symmetry between the left and right sides. In the world of typical whitetails, symmetry is highly valued.
Practical Example
Imagine a buck with an 18-inch spread, 24-inch main beams on both sides, and eight total points. If the right G2 is 8 inches and the left G2 is 7.5 inches, you have a 0.5-inch deduction for that pair. This calculator automatically computes these differences for every category to arrive at your final net score.
function calculateDeerScore() {
var getVal = function(id) {
var val = parseFloat(document.getElementById(id).value);
return isNaN(val) ? 0 : val;
};
// Inputs
var insideSpread = getVal('insideSpread');
var beamR = getVal('beamR');
var beamL = getVal('beamL');
// Point pairs
var pairs = [
[getVal('g1r'), getVal('g1l')],
[getVal('g2r'), getVal('g2l')],
[getVal('g3r'), getVal('g3l')],
[getVal('g4r'), getVal('g4l')],
[getVal('h1r'), getVal('h1l')],
[getVal('h2r'), getVal('h2l')],
[getVal('h3r'), getVal('h3l')],
[getVal('h4r'), getVal('h4l')]
];
// Spread Credit Rule: Cannot exceed longer main beam
var maxBeam = Math.max(beamR, beamL);
var spreadCredit = Math.min(insideSpread, maxBeam);
var totalRight = beamR;
var totalLeft = beamL;
var totalDeductions = Math.abs(beamR – beamL);
for (var i = 0; i < pairs.length; i++) {
var r = pairs[i][0];
var l = pairs[i][1];
totalRight += r;
totalLeft += l;
totalDeductions += Math.abs(r – l);
}
var grossScore = spreadCredit + totalRight + totalLeft;
var netScore = grossScore – totalDeductions;
// Display Results
document.getElementById('resultBox').style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('grossScoreDisplay').innerText = grossScore.toFixed(3);
document.getElementById('netScoreDisplay').innerText = netScore.toFixed(3);
document.getElementById('totalDeductions').innerText = totalDeductions.toFixed(3);
// Scroll to results
document.getElementById('resultBox').scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}